New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-08-03
The Old Palace Keeper.

energetic, industrious and solemnly
conscientious, through three long
months of sightseeing, and were now
taking our ease. I think the first three
months in Florence or Rome is like
learning the alphabet; it is some time
before one can read. We are now be-
ginning to read. But May in Italy
means American summer, and we were
not as energetic as we had been; we
were, however, visiting the palaces in
. leisurely way, way that was mixed
with much driving out toward the violet
mountains, buying the wonderful flow
ers. and even reading novels. No
novel had we read during those first
solemn three months; we had sabsisted
upon the solid food of Hare, Horner
and Grove, with foundation of
Vasari and Ruskin and superstruc-
ture of the Hawthornes and the
Brownings. We are now shading off
with "Romola'' and Henry James.
One morning old Catarina, who dust
ed our apartments daily after the anna
bic and Inefficient italian manner,
asked if we had seen the Palazzo
Accolti, in the Via Lorenzini; there
were wonderful art treasures there.
AS both Lucy and had studied italian,
we talked to the servants and to the
shop people in their own language in
preference to the parti-colored French
which in Italy is held sacred to the En-
glish and Americans. At Catarina's
speech the young servin g-man who was
in the next room (she did not know it)
laughed; and then, appearing with
deep respect and apologies at the door,
explained that there was nothing in
that old palace for the illustrious ladies
TO see; nothing at all. It was but a
delusion of old Catrina's, who had
lived there when a girl, and who could
never-With the permission of their
hobleness -remember the flight of time
treasures were there, without doubt,
once; but they had all been sold. The
whole world knew this save Catarina
alone. The old woman had shrunk at
the sound of his voice, and would say
no more. But the next time [ found
her alone I questioned her, and at
length won from her the belief that the
art treasures of the old palace were not
sold, but still in their places in the dark
closed rooms above She knew that
the ground floor was turned into shops:
but old Marco, the keeper, still lived
above and why should he live there if
there was no treasuresp Why should
there still be keeper if there was
nothing to keep? The palace itself
could not be sold while the old Mar
cheese lived. At his death, no doubt,
the wicked nephew who had al
ready sold all that he could, would sell
that also; but the old Marchese still
lived
..There?'' I asked.
Oh, no; with the permission of their
excellence, the old Marchese had been
stricken by God, in his mind forty
years before, and was with those who
scared for such unfortunate ones. The
wicked nephew said that God had GER
sGainly forgotten him, since he was
nearly ninety years old; but, plainly it
was that the good Lord was in no haste
ito give to that wicked one what he had
so much coveted. If their illustrous-
ness would condescend to go to the
old palace, Catarina felt sure that
treasures were still to be seen.
Il Their illustriousness condescended;
ut least condescended to try. cit will
sbe a comfort to see something not in
the grade books" said Lucy, who hay-
ing learned all that those useful publi-
cations had to tell, now ungratefullY
despised them. So one morning we
drove into the narrow Via Lorenzni
la seach Of the old palace and finally
found tan old, grim, lofty stone
building, like many another in Flor
once; its ground floor was now occu-
pied by small shops, and all the shut
ters were closed above. The great
doors OF the entrance were locked and
aooked as though they had not been
opened for century; there was no
bell. We gazed upward in perplexity.
But the whole neighborhood was. as
the Frinch say. assisting and we saw
that we had only to make inquiries;
80 selecting a yender of lamps, who
occupied the largest shop, we said
that we wished to enter the pal
ace and asked for. old Marco.
This was evidently surprising
e SlSb OLiO tCAA0Ol VI WOllua
go in search of old Marco. with all
speed. if their highnesses would grac-
aously wait. Their highnesses waited
therefore, I hope graciously, and bust
mess was suspended for the morning in
the Via Lorenzini. At last the yender
of lamps returned and with despera-
dion." Old Marco. who was Of an
ssobstinacy most incredible, : refused
to believe that illustrious ones were
waiting, but required that they should
come within his own courtyard, where,
he could see them, before he would
descend and unbar the door. This
.obstinacy made the Yender of lamps
desire to live no longer, such was his.
shame in the presence of their nobili-
/ ties. But their nobilities alighted and
followed him through his shop into the
courtyard, where looking up. they saw
q dim face behind the glass gazing